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2nd China anti-piracy video contest kicks off

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BEIJING -- Targeting China's 20 million university students, the second annual China-wide anti-piracy video contest was launched Tuesday by the Beijing Student Film Festival and the China Film Copyright Protection Assn.

Started with support from the MPA last year, this year's contest is titled "Respect Copyrights, Uphold Fair Competition, Protect Originality, Stay Away From Piracy."

In a country where illegal downloading among the country's 210 million Internet users is widespread, especially among college students with access to computers (HR 1/19), the contest hopes to inspire "a fresh look at the value of intellectual property to society and to individuals," the MPA said in a statement.

The producers of the best one-minute live-action or animated short film will win an all-expenses paid trip to Hollywood to visit MPA member film studios.

Last year, Liang Jinwei of the Guangxi University for Nationalities in southwest China won the 1st contest and a weeklong trip to Hollywood to meet with film studio executives (HR 8/22/07).

"The creative industries are fundamental drivers of economic growth and it is good for China's brightest young people -- the creators of tomorrow -- to reflect on the value of intellectual property," said Mike Ellis, the MPA's senior vp and Asia Pacific regional director.

MPA data shows that, in 2005, Hollywood studios lost $1.2 billion in potential sales due to piracy across the Asia-Pacific region along with another $1.3 billion in the U.S.

China is under increased pressure from governments at the World Trade Organization to ramp up pressure against IP violators.